Fire-shutter.



E. H. NICCLOUD.

FIRE SHUTTER. APPLICATION FILED 1AN.I9. 1912.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

2 SHEETS--SHEET l.

/f AM E. H. NICCLGUD.

FIRE SHUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.19,1912.

I 1,294,802.. vPatented Nov. 14, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I i @mue/410e www @o Emmmfcm .wc/g i srATnsrArnNT carica.

EnvvAJem H. IvIeOILoI), OFOOLUMBUS, OHIO, AssIGNoR TOVYTHE Kriviv'nAit MAnuFAo- TURINGCOMPANY, or COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

FIRE-SHUTTER'.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov. 14, 1916.

Application led .T anuary 19, 1912. Serial No. 672,058.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. MCCLOUD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State ofOhio, have invented a certain new' and useful Improvement in Fire-Shutters, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relating more particularly to the class of rolling lire resisting shutters' that are closed by a dangerous rise of temperature, hasy for its Object to prevent so violent a closing movement of such a shutter as mightv cause injury thereto and perhaps render it unlit to properly perform its view of a modification. Fig. 3 is a view in elevation 0f that' end of the structure-4n beingY inthe instance shown the right'hand end-containing the means for holding the rollershaft of the corresponding end stationary', said meanskbeing in sha ift-holding position'.` Fig.4 is a View similar to that of Fig. 3 showing the shaft-holding means released. Figf is a frontvi'evv further .illustrating the parts as they appear 1n Fig. L1.

Fig. 6 is an end view of one of the clutch ing collars. p y

In thev said views and referrmg more particularlyto Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5v and 6` the char#V acter 6 designates the barrel orfA drum to receive the rolling shutter, a fraction only of the latter being shown at 6a. Said barrel 6 has fitted and secured in its opposite ends Y plugs 6b and 6c perforated to form journals for the shaft parts. The barrel is carried upon a two-part shaft, the parts being de signated 7 and 7a, respectively, Which 1n turn are supported in end brackets 8 and 8E. The shaft part 7 has pinned on its end beyond the bracket a spur wheel 9 that is engaged by a dog 9ZL on swinging arm Vl0, said arm being held up to hold the shaft stationary by a Wire ll containing one or more connections 12 fusible by a dangerous rise of temperature. The? Wire 11 Vis lpreferably extended to the short arm of a lever 13 having its other arm Weighted.

The character 14 designatesa Weighted rod attached to a hinged Varm 15 that supports the arm l0 in position to hold the dog 9n engaged with the spur Wheel 9. The release of the weighted rod le insures the release of the arms 15 and 410 when the fusible connection l2 is melted. The shaft art 7 has pinned tol it near the end of the arrel a collar 1,6 to Which is attached one end of a coilrspringl7, thevother end of said'spring being secured to'aplug 18 turning on the shaft part 7 but secured at its rim to the barrel. The coil spring 17 constitutes a tension memberv for normal operation of the shutter. Said spring 17 is therefore secured so that the unrolling of the shutter increases its tension, the spring being preferably of suchV dimensions or power that Wheny the parts are properly adjusted it counterbalances the shutter for normal operation, that is -to say, for Winding and un- Winding manually in normal conditions. The inner end of the shaft part 7 has pinned to it a. clutch member 19 consisting of a collar perforated.toreceive the end of the shaft-part 7, 'saidV collar being shown as having va disk-like head provided with a clutching'projection 192'V e l The shaft part 7a has Vupon its Outer end beyond the contiguous bracket 81 a Wheel 20 having one or more projections 2Oa which can be engaged by a keeper 2l in the bracket to prevent saidV Wheel and the shaft part 7a from'turning' after its adjustment, ashereinafter described, has been made. The shaft part7a Within the barrel has pinned to it a colla-r 22 having a clutching lug or projection 22"-` extending inward from its inner face. The inner end of theshaft part 7a (Fig. l) is for convenience, shown to extend into'the bomJ of the collar 19 and each ycan be turned with reference to the other. This Vconstruction also aids in alining the shaft parts with each other Vand in keeping them alined. On the inner end of the shaft part 75L are showny to be journaled two disk-like parts 23 and 24 each having on each of its faces clutching lugsor projections as seen at 23a andl 23b and 24:a and 24,. These parts 23 and 211 and their lugs are of such dimensions and so occupy/.the spacebetween the opposed faces of the collars 19 and 22 that rotary motion of the collar 19 can be communicated to the collar 22 or rotary motion of the collar 22 to the collar 19 through the several lugs or projections on the collars and disks 23 and 24. But after all of said lugs have been placed into contiguity with each other by the rotation of one of said collars in one direction it requires several revolutions of either one of the parts in the opposite direction to bring them again into contiguity.

To adjust and fix the means thus described for the purpose stated the shaft-part 7 is held stationary while the shaft-part 7a is turned so that the clutching lugs are in contiguity in a position that is the reverse of that in `which they appear in Fig. 1 and until the shutter is nearly counterbalanced by the spring 17, when the said shaft-part 7 a is locked with the keeper 21.' After this the shaft-part 7 is turned in a direction to increase its tension and quite counterbalance the shutter or so that the shutter will be held up and remain at the point to which it is raised or lowered when the said shaft 7 is locked by setting the lug 9a or the means for releasing the shutter by a dangerous rise of temperature. It therefore follows that when the shaft-part 7 is released by a dangerous rise of temperature the shutter will descendv by gravity and perhaps quite freely if the lugs of the clutching members and disks are not at the time in contiguity and then relatively slowly when said lugs come into contiguity because of the restraining effect of the spring on the drum engendered lbv the contiguity ofthe lugs, it being notefl that the shaft 7 is held fromfrotation in the unwinding direction by the fixed shaft 7 a when saidlugs are in contiguity. The restraining effect of the spring can be applied at any point desired by increasing or diminishing the number of disks or by changing the size of the contacting lugs but in practice the construction is preferably such that it is applied when the shutter being of ordinary dimensions is about one third of the way down so that it shall gently close and there will be suiiicient counterba'lancing effect to permit the shutter to be raised by those who might require to get into or out of the building through the opening closed.

In Fig. 2 the same construction is illustrated except that the shaftV 7 c corresponding to 7a of Fig. 1 is provided with a spring 25, the coil of which is'the reverse of the counterbalancing spring 17, said spring being secured at one end to a collar 26 pinned on the shaft while the lother end of the spring is secured to a collar 22b corresponding to the collar 22 of Fig. 1. In Fig. 2 the shaft corresponding to the shaft 7 of Fig. l is extended to the bore of the collar 26 and the disks 23 and 24 turn loose on said extension.

In other respects the parts illustratedl inv Fig.` 2 are substantially the same as illustrated in Fig. 1 and are correspondingly indicated. The function of the spring 25 is to cushion the blow of the lugs on the disks and clutching collars when the shutter is released. In other respects the mode of adjusting or preparing for operation the construction shown in Fig. 2 is substantially the same as that set forth with respect to Fig. 1., It is understood, of course, that the shutter can be made of any suitable length to close a window or door opening and that the parts are to be adapted to the particular opening for which they are designed to close.

Changes in the form and proportions of parts can be made, and some parts can be omitted and used in combination with others without departing from the gist of the invention. y

What I claim is:

1. In a fire shutter, the combination with a rotary shutter receiving member, two shafts axially arranged in said shutter receiving member to support the same, means for fixing said shafts, a tension member between one of said shafts and the shutter receiving member for counterbalancing the shutter in normal operation, thermally controlled means for releasing said last named shaft, and a clutching member on each of saidv shafts, the clutching member on one shaft adapted to engage the clutch member on the other by rotation only upon therelease of the `shaft containing the tension member.

2. In a fire shutter, the combination with a rotary shutter receiving member, two

shafts axially arranged in said shutter receiving member to support the same, means for fixing said shafts, a tension member between one of said shafts and the shutter receiving member kfor counterbalancing the shutter in normal operation, thermally controlled means for releasing said last named shaft, a clutching member on each of said shafts and a freely rotative clutch member between said clutch members to interengage them by rotation upon the release of the tension member. y

3.` In a fire shutter, the combination of a shutter and a shutter receiving member, a tension member for the normal operation of the shutter, means for releasing the tension member and shutter, and means including a freely rotative impact member within the shutter receiving member rendering said tension member reoperable to restrain. the shutter after its release.

4. In a fire shutter, the combination of a shutter and a drum therefor, a two-part shaft for the drum, a spring connected with one of said shaft parts and with 4the drum, means releasably holding said shaft part, a clutch member on said shaft part, a clutch member fixed on the other shaft part operably related to the iirst named clutchl member and means whereby said second mentioned shaft part can be adjusted and held.

'ln a iire shutter, the combination oi' a shutter anda drum therefor, a two-part shaft for the drum, a spring connected with one el said shaft carts and with the drum,`

means releasably holding said shaft-part, a clutch member on said shaft-part, a clutch member iixed on the other shaft-part and movable means intermediate said clutch members permitting one clutch member to be operated by the other.

(i. In a ii'e shutter, the combination oi' a shutter and a drum therefor, a two-part shaft for the drum, i spring connected With one of said shaft-parts and with the drum, means releasably holding said shaftpart, a clutch member Xed on the other shaft-part and a rotary disk provided with lugs located between said clutch members and adapted to bc engaged by each of said clutch members.

7. In a iire shutter, the combination of a shutter 'and a shutter-receiving member, a tension member for the normal operation of the shutter, mea-ns for releasing the tension member and shutter, a clutching member and a cushioning member in connection with the shutter-receiving member adapted to be engaged by said clutching member after the release of the shutter.

8. in a fire shutter, the combination of a shutter and a drum therefor, a tivo-part shaft for the drum, a spring connected with one of said shaft-parts and with the drum, means releasably holding said shaftpart, a clutch member on said shaft-part, a second clutch member and a spring connecting said last named clutch member with a iixed part.

9. ln a lire shutter, the combination of a shutter and a drum therefor, a two-part shaft for 'the drum, a spring connected with one of said shaft-parts and With the drum, means releasably holding said sha-ftpart, second clutch member, a spring connecting said last named clutch member With the other shaftaart, and means whereby said last named shaft-part can be adjusted and tired in adjusted position.

10. In a iire shutter, the combination of a shutter and a shutter receiving member, a tension member for the normal operation oi the shutter, means for releasing the tension member and shutter, and means including a stationary and a cooperating freely il. A gravity fire shutter comprising in `combination a drum, a. shutter, a vcounterbalanceV means for saidl drum and shutter, clutch mechanism, and a controlling element for said mechanism operative to Inomentarily render saidcounter-balance means ineffective, said mechanism being entirely within said drum. Y

l2. In a fire shutter, the combination of a shutter and a shatter receiving member, a tension member for the normal operation of the shutter, means for releasing the tension member and shutt r, and means including a yielding and a cooperating freely rotative impact member Within the shutter receiving member for rendering said tension member reoperable to restrain the shutter after its release.

EDl/VARD H. MCCLOUD.

`Witnesses BENJAMIN FINCKEL, GEORGE M. FINCKEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for nve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent Washington, D. C. 

